Jacksonville's First and Only White Christmas

I have lived in Florida my whole life and have seen snow fall only once in the state.   I was just 3 years old when snow fell in St. Petersburg back in January of 1977.  I don't remember it but my parents told me I was confused by  the white snowflakes coming down.

Looking at the statistics I should of witnessed more that just one snowfall in the sunshine state. Florida rarely gets snow, but there have been several snowfalls over the years since records began.  Most events are during January and February.  Snow has been observed in more than 80 separate months since 1886.  Snow flurries which don't stick to the ground are reported almost each winter in some part of the state. Last year flurries fell during the early morning hours on January 3rd in east central Florida and flurries were reported to us as close as Flagler county. In the 1977 event, snow fell in Ft. Lauderdale and cars had to wipe off the accumulation with windshield wipers.  Reports of snow in Homestead made this the record for the most southerly point of snow in Florida.

Jacksonville has had its rare share of snow events but only once has snow been on the ground during Christmas day.  These pictures are proof.  It was in 1989 during a record cold outbreak that Jacksonville had its first December snowfall with more than three inches of snow on the ground in sections of the city.  It snowed on Christmas Eve and the snow stuck on the ground and stayed during Christmas day.  In Gainesville, ice on runways forced the airport to close.

So for First Coast residents who say it can't snow here, remember the Christmas of 1989.  And topping that, the states record snowfall in Florida was right near Jacksonville in Union countie's Lake Butler.  Four inches fell there in 1899 making it the snowiest event in Florida's history. 

This year, with highs on Christmas nearing 80 degrees, the only snow will be at the other end of a long plane ride north.